


Modest Stillness

by LateStarter58



Series: The Companions [3]
Category: Henry V - Shakespeare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Childbirth, F/M, Pregnancy, Robot Feels, Robot/Human Relationships, Robots, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 04:51:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16779952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LateStarter58/pseuds/LateStarter58
Summary: Henry is finding becoming a 'Daddy' something of a challenge...





	Modest Stillness

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fearful Symmetry](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5625079) by [missdibley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/missdibley/pseuds/missdibley). 



> A little one shot in the Companions series, to follow on from All That I Have Met and Miss Dibley's Fearful Symmetry

Henry was, above all, a king, a soldier; he considered himself, even now, in this strange and unnatural place, to be a man of action. He was a doer, not a watcher, and watching _this_ was beyond him. He had no choice but to do so; he was helpless, and he did not think he could endure it much longer.

“Is this… _suffering_ strictly necessary, Lady Miriam? Surely you have medicaments, potions which can relieve her pain?” The entirety of his long lean body was tense, and the sharp planes of his beautiful pale face were accentuated by his anxiety.

Miriam smiled benevolently at his stricken expression. “We have analgesia, yes, and we could give anaesthetic, if appropriate, but Cate has not chosen to use it. Many women do not. They prefer, as she does, to have as natural an experience as is possible under the circumstances.”

The King raked his long fingers through his red hair, his gaze drawn back to the strained and pale face of his Queen, who sat propped up on the bed across the room. She was deep in conversation with Maggie, the senior midwife on OB4. Their voices were low and calm, in precise contrast to the rising panic in his chest. He watched in horror as another contraction made Cate stop speaking and grip the bedclothes. His worrying did not abate when he saw her breathing return to a steady rhythm. The touch of the doctor’s hand on his arm startled him.

“This is all completely normal, your Majesty.” Miriam gestured across the room. “Maggie is suggesting she use some gas and air, to relieve the pain. I think that would be ideal.”

Henry stood, rooted to the spot, the first husband in centuries to suffer this impotence in the face his wife’s labour. He had been promised it would be a joyful experience, all of it, from conception to birth: so far, it had been anything but.

**********************

When, that magical night over a year before, Cate had first shared with him her growing desire to bear a child, Henry had agreed readily. It seemed like the right, even the natural thing to do: to have a family, to confirm their love. He had little or no real knowledge of the subject, and so decided he should educate himself. Within days, so alarmed at some of what he learned, Henry tried to persuade his beloved to reconsider, but it was no use: her mind was made up. She assured him she had done her research, _everything would be fine, stop worrying, Harry_ , and set the wheels in motion, starting with a consultation with the Medical Director of Orbital 4.

Janet had been thrilled at the request she received from Miriam: Cate and Henry wanted a baby, but more specifically, one that could pass for their natural child. Gene editing was common practice; of course, since there was no other way to repopulate in the brave new world left in the aftermath of the Water Wars. It was traditional for women to choose at least some characteristics for their daughters (sometimes, in times of need, certain innate skills were emphasised to prevent shortages), but this was a first. Normally – in the new ‘normal’ of an all-female society - if a child was to be born into a stable relationship, genes from both partners could be used in the embryogenesis, but of course, that did require that both parties actually have genes. In the case of Henry and Cate, science would need to delve into new areas yet again.

Word soon got around the gene lab and then the whole of the Medical Centre: for the first time in several centuries a human baby was going to have a father. They could have just searched the genetic ‘library’ for the right hair and eye colours, body type and personality traits, but Janet had a better plan. They had access to Tom Hiddleston’s DNA profile, thanks to Chantal’s proclivity for keeping all her records. She had accessed it when she had the Companion based on the man himself, in order to check she was not related to him, after she discovered an unsuspected connection in the past. As with so much of what the Companion Program had made use of already, she had kept the download on her private drive. That gave the gene lab a place to start.

Preparation of this special, _royal_ baby’s genetic material took a bit longer than normal, due to the amount of synthesis required, but there was always a wait for these procedures. In the end, Cate was offered her opportunity to prepare for implantation only six months after she first discussed it with Miriam. It was not possible to test fully what they had done, but the simulations they ran all ended successfully, and so Cate was readied in the usual way, with hormone injections and a special diet to ensure the optimal conditions for a pregnancy to initiate.

Henry had found the waiting time a particular trial: the nostrums they gave her made Cate’s mood capricious and she was even more short-tempered than usual. She wept at anything, raged at everything - to the point where he took to hiding in the grounds, amongst the trees, for the sake of his sanity. Oh, what he would have given for a horse to ride, to feel the wind in his hair as he galloped, the power of the animal between his thighs! But instead he just moped in the orchard or leaned against the wall of the cider mill and worried. One of his fellow Companions – usually Loki - would be dispatched to find him and scold him for leaving Cate at her time of need. The Norse demi-god found it all highly amusing, whereas the thoughtful Edward was kind and quietly supportive. Oakley was no use at all, of course, and just kept making childish jokes that earned him the threat of a ‘royal thrashing’.

Even though he knew he would always be sought out sooner or later, Henry had to get away, if only for a short respite, because he was so very worried and he did not want his beloved Queen to detect it. He listened and smiled when she read from the pregnancy files and talked excitedly about the development of her child. He agreed when she reiterated how safe and well she was. He could be stoical and put on a happy face for her, because it was his duty, but he could only keep it up for so long. All the data he had assimilated about the carrying of children and confinement (from different sources than Cate’s, he was sure) had filled him with dread. Their life together had been so happy and carefree up until then, and seeing all the worst complications that could arise, he had become convinced that they – that _he_ – would have to pay for that joy with pain and tragedy. What little he had known before had taught him this much: bearing children was a dangerous business and the woman did not always survive it.

***************

The corridor outside Hannah and Loki’s quarters was dark. Henry stood there, vacillating. Should he press the call button and possibly disturb them? It felt like a discourtesy, but he needed to talk to Hannah, urgently. He could not continue in this way, Cate was beginning to ask more often what was troubling him, and the implantation procedure was on the morrow. He paced a little, still unsure, his mind wandering back to his early days on the station. He thought of that shape under the sheet in the lab. William had come into his thoughts often in recent weeks: how he had been unable to continue to live without his true love; no more could he, Harry Plantagenet. Humans had limited lifespans; he accepted that, but to risk everything, in order to have a child…? Pain clutched at his chest as a dozen horrific scenarios ran across his mind. Eventually, after several minutes more of this agonising and self-torture, running through all the other possible ways forward, every one he had dismissed at least once before, he pressed an elegant finger to the panel.

“Who is it?” Loki’s voice had a hint of irritation. That pleased Henry – if he had interrupted anything, Loki would not have been so calm.

“It is Henry, Loki. May I ask, is your lady-?“

The door slid open and there Hannah stood. Her silk robe draped stylishly over her curves, in a way that reminded Henry of Chantal. Her blond hair shone and her lips were full. The King supposed he might have interrupted _something…_ She looked into his troubled face. “Is everything alright, Henry? Is Cate well, or-?”

“She seems so, Lady Hannah. Excited for what is to come, but the truth is, I am concerned. May I speak frankly with you?”

Hannah gestured for him to come in and he entered, accepting the offer of a seat on her low couch. She took in his appearance: his normally tidy hair was ruffled; he had fastened his leather jerkin wrongly and apparently not noticed. Loki was at his desk in the corner; he greeted the King with a nod before turning back to whatever he was doing. Hannah sat down opposite Henry and leaned forward in an obvious invitation for him to continue.

“I fear for her, Lady Hannah. I have been reading-“

“Henry, I tried to tell you not to do that.” Her voice was gently scolding. “Those files always list the very worst possible outcomes. There is no reason to think that anything bad will happen.” She reached for his hands, which were wringing each other convulsively. “And even if it were to, we have the very best medical care available, right here, just moments away.” She smiled encouragingly at his stricken face.

“But I know that in human history, millions of women have died in childbirth, or soon after, Lady Hannah-“

“Not here!” She sighed, and released his hands, standing and moving to sit beside him. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and put the other hand on his forearm. “Henry, please listen to me. Cate is my closest, my dearest friend. I love her like a sister. If I thought for a moment that she was putting her life at risk, that this was a dangerous thing to do, don’t you think I would be doing everything in my power to stop her from going ahead with it?” The King raised his head and looked directly at her, his eyebrows lifted.

“You are certain it is safe?”

“As sure as I can be. Thousands of babies have been born in the colonies since we had to leave the Earth. _Thousands_ , Henry. Me and Cate, and all the women here included. And not one mother has died as a result. NOT. ONE.” She watched as silent tears rolled down the royal cheeks. “Please, if you need to, go and talk to Miriam, to Janet, and to Julie, who can show you the figures. But then _get back home_. Cate needs you, it’s a difficult time for her.”

Henry stood and embraced Hannah. As he left, he gave her a look of such gratitude that the woman who had brought him and his two original colleagues to Orbital 4 had to hide her own tears. “Poor chap,” she said as the door to the elevator closed on him, “I fear he has been programmed with some of the old superstitions his character would have held to. We might need to get onto that; I’ll message Charlotte and Julie.”

Loki was listening to all this, his mind working, and he began to formulate his own plan.

********

“Is that all?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew he had made an error.

“All? _All? ALL??!!”_ Cate’s eyes were blazing at him from where she lay on the treatment couch. “Yes, _only_ three months of hormone treatment that turned me into a psycho. _Only_ a six-month wait for that little pleasure. _Only-“_

“I’m sorry, my dearest, I simply meant-“

Maggie was chuckling as she cleared the instruments away and took down the stirrups. Miriam, who had removed her gloves and was washing her hands, jumped in before Cate could get going again. “I’m sure his Majesty was just a little surprised by how _fast_ the implantation stage is.” Her patient harrumphed but said no more. “Now, Ma’am,” (everyone on O4 had taken to referring to the couple as ‘The Royals’) “you must stay lying down for at least an hour. And remember what I said…?” A slow grin spread across Cate’s face and she nodded. “Good. I’ll leave you two to it, then.” She slipped out, leaving the couple alone in the small room. Maggie dimmed the lighting as she followed Miriam out.

“And what _exactly_ did the good doctor say, my Queen?” Henry got to his feet and walked over to stand next to her.

“She told me I have to stay like this for as long as possible, you know, to be sure everything is safely settled. And…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at her man coyly.

“ _And…_?”

“And she said that research has shown that…” Now the time had come, Cate felt oddly self-conscious.

“Shown what, my dear?”

Steeling herself, she ploughed on. “That an orgasm helps the process.” The blush, which was rising on her beautiful face, was very attractive to him, and cheered him enormously. Cate had suffered so many indignities in this business, and he was pleased to see her femininity had survived intact.

“I see,” he said seriously, stroking his red beard sagely, “Now, how can we achieve that, I wonder, with my Queen having to be still and quiet?”

“She didn’t say anything about quiet, Harry.”

He smiled wickedly, leaned down and kissed her mouth, softly at first, but then more deeply as Cate’s hands gripped his neck as she kissed him back. She moaned into his mouth as her desire began to pool. He knew without her saying so that she was sorry that she had been so hard on him at times. He knew, too, that she depended on his love more than ever. And he had always known that she loved him more than life itself, and always would.

“I believe an orgasm is required, my lady,” he murmured into her glossy mane of dark brown hair as his hands began to wander, searching for the hem of the peculiar garment she had been dressed in. She sighed and nodded as his gentle fingers worked their way up inside it and slid over the crest of her hip. Cate’s own fingers ravelled into his long red locks, and she closed her eyes as the King began to worship his Queen.

*********

Moonlight was flooding the colony grounds, illuminating the happy crowd at Edward’s ‘retirement’ party. The King was very pleased that another of his fellows was settling down and refraining from the sordid business that some of the Companions were obliged to participate in. He had spoken with Magnus, and been mingling with the other guests when the sight of Cate cradling Camilla’s little Primrose had transfixed him. Her lovely round brown eyes were gazing down at the child’s green ones, and the baby was reaching for her mouth with a chubby pink hand. He was enchanted by the expression on his love’s face, imagining how she would look at her own daughter, at the child now growing inside her. A loud squawk from behind jerked him out of his reverie: Mary’s red-faced newborn was making her presence felt, and Adam was passing the mewling creature back. He watched her mother handling her with ease and a sudden thought struck him. He turned to his hosts, who were standing nearby.

“Excuse me Lady Julie, may I interrupt?”

“Of course, Henry. What can I do for you? Are you enjoying the party?”

“It is most congenial, thank you. It is Edward I would like to speak with, if it is convenient…?”

The two men walked a little away from the main party, leaving the bustle behind and going into the stillness of the orchard. They came upon a bench and sat. Edward waited for Henry to start talking, sensing he was finding it difficult to ask for help. The King was on a steep learning curve and he often appeared rather disorientated these days.

“You are familiar with the care of infants, Edward?”

A proud smile lit up his blond friend’s features. “I am becoming so, yes. Was there something you wanted to know?”

“I think I should have some instruction, before our child-“ He stopped, staring at Edward’s open, benevolent face, suddenly choked with emotion. It was the first time he had said those words to any other than Cate, and their full meaning had hit him squarely in the chest. “I-I-I… I mean to say, _before_ the birth.” His face was red and his jaw had tightened as he fought to regain control of himself. “I wish to be able to assist my wife in whatever ways she might have need.”

Edward rested his hand on Henry’s arm in a gesture of understanding. “Of course. Why don’t we see if Mary will let us borrow her little one for a while, starting one day next week, perhaps? Give you some practical experience?”

“An excellent plan, Edward!” He stood as if to leave, but then had another thought. “Do you know much about women in pregnancy, Edward?”

A gentle chuckle. “Er, no, not really. Are you concerned about something?”

“Not any longer, not truly, but I am rather perplexed.” He grinned, his heart suddenly feeling light. “Cate has taken to eating some very puzzling meals, Edward. Do you know if this is a recognised phenomenon?”

Edward consulted the family health data he had uploaded to aid him in his new career. “It’s called ‘pica’, Henry. It is quite common. It is still not fully understood. It used to be believed that the woman lacked some nutrients in her diet, but there are no studies to support that. Some experts believe it is just a side-effect of the hormonal changes.” He stood and they began to walk back towards the party. “Cate’s body is undergoing huge transformations, you know.”

Henry nodded, comforted by his friend’s words. He spotted his Queen sitting with Mary, who was feeding her dozing daughter. Once again his heart lurched at this vision of the future. He closed his eyes and saw the three of them, strolling in the grounds. He had his arm around Cate, their child was running ahead with a balloon on a string, the tinkling of her laughter filling his ears and making his heart swell with joy and pride. He was dimly aware of Edward patting him on the shoulder and walking off, but his focus was on the smiling face of his beloved wife. He had to stop his incessant worrying and enjoy this time with her.

**********

“Are you certain this is legal?” Magnus’ brow was furrowed and he shifted uneasily as he looked around at the others. Loki snorted derisively: as if _that_ mattered! He continued working on the lock in front of him.

It was a moonless night, and only the suggestion of features could be seen on the faces of the group as they huddled by the doors of the Cider Mill. Loki sighed and then grunted with satisfaction as the lock clicked and the door opened. Why they had bothered with such old-style technology on this building he could only guess, but it did make his scheme even easier to carry out.

“Remind me again, Prince Loki, why _exactly_ we are here?”

“It’s traditional, Harry old boy! The father-to-be has to go out on the rampage with his cronies, one last time before the responsibilities of parenthood shackle him to the house!”

James and Edward appeared no more comfortable than the upright Swede, but Oakley was practically vibrating with excitement and Caius Martius had a look of grim satisfaction as they all made their way inside the building. Henry shrugged and followed Loki up the wooden steps to the tasting room. He was not convinced that Loki had obtained the necessary permissions, as one glance at Martinsson’s troubled face confirmed. But Lady Hannah had smiled and encouraged him to go along with the plan for the evening, and he was certain she would not be party to anything improper.

Loki switched on the lights and raised his arms expansively, grinning wickedly. “Now, _Daddy…_ what is your drinking pleasure this evening? Draught? Dry? Sweet? _Bouché?_ Or perhaps some scrumpy?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Henry rolled his eyes. Oakley pushed past him and began perusing the shelves of barrels and bottles with a connoisseur’s eye. The King could hear the other men murmuring behind him. Edward was unpacking a picnic of cheeses and bread that he had prepared with Julie’s assistance, and James was helping him lay it out on the large wooden table normally used for tasting sessions by the cider-makers.

A couple of hours later, by which time several empty bottles had accumulated at the end of the table and the pitchers refilled over and over, Henry’s head felt too heavy for his shoulders and he laid his handsome bearded cheek down on the cool wood. The last few glasses had finished him off – he missed the days when he could swallow sack all day and all night with little or no effect. He was getting old. An old, married man, with a family… a slow smile spread across his face as his eyelids began to droop.

Loki was smiling too. The Calvados he had surreptitiously added to the King’s glass had sent him off to sleep, exactly as planned. He tipped the wink to Oakley and his young accomplice left, returning a few minutes later with a wheelchair. As he did, Caius reached behind the row of chairs where Edward, Magnus and James had been sitting before they left ( _earlier on – damned lightweights)_ for the bag of tricks Loki had hidden there that afternoon.

******

Strange noises woke Henry: a reedy wail, gurgling, a muted whisper, some giggles. Cautiously, he opened his eyes, but closed them again rapidly. The light was painfully bright. More input began to sink in. A clean smell, of soap and something else he couldn’t quite identify. He tried again, turning his head to the side to avoid the worst of the glare. He was not in his own bed, that much he could glean.

“Your Majesty?” He recognised the voice. It was Gloria. Where in the deuce _was_ he?

“Yes?”

“May I ask, what are you doing in the nursery, sir?” She seemed to him to be doing her best not to laugh.

Henry sat up carefully and looked around. He had been lying on some pink bedding, which had been placed on the floor between the cribs of two newborn babies, in a room with several others. His head throbbed, and his eyeballs felt as if they were floating on sand. Trying to stand, he discovered that dizziness was not his only problem. His skin felt unfamiliar, and his feet slipped on the shiny floor. There was something tied around his head like a bandage. When he looked down he saw he was dressed in strange attire, something that resembled what the infants around him were wearing. A soft pink garment covered his entire body from shoulders to toes. Tentatively, he explored his head with fingers that were close to shaking. A neat bow under his chin secured some kind of head covering. When he looked up he could see his reflexion in the door beside the giggling Gloria.

On his handsome, bearded, _royal_ head was a pink bonnet.

**_“LOKI!!!”_ **

************

Henry had known Cate was strong, and not just in the way all women are: she had a powerful kick, and she could throw him on his back in bed if she caught him unawares. He liked that. But the pressure of her hand on his now, as the contraction gripped her, was exquisitely painful. Her nails had already drawn blood in a few places on his palm, and he had to turn away to hide his discomfort. Ruefully, he rubbed his face with his other hand, feeling the heat where she had slapped him just a few minutes earlier. He hoped she did not mean what she had said about never letting him touch her again. He was still puzzling over the term ‘jackass’.

“Fully dilated!” Maggie’s voice was muffled as she lay beneath Cate’s kneeling form to check. “Push away, babe!”

A great cry, determination and relief mixed, came from his wife and Henry began to tremble as she did, indeed, push. He understood now why it was called ‘labour’: his wife worked hard and he was fascinated to see how the shape of her belly changed as the child made its way out into the world. Later, when he told Hannah how quickly this stage had seemed to pass, he felt the sting of his Queen’s hand again. He was finally learning the true power of the ‘weaker sex’.

“You Majesty, you might want to come down here to see your daughter arrive.” Maggie’s face was wreathed in smiles, and Henry thought he saw tears in her eyes. _How unprofessional,_ he thought, but then he saw a patch of auburn hair and a little squashed face below it, and everything went blurry. Cate panted while Maggie checked for cord.

“Go for it, girl.”

The first princess born in many a century arrived a minute or two later, quite safely, and loudly announcing herself to those present. The midwife handed her to her tired but ecstatic mother, who turned her to look at the King. Her sparkling brown eyes met the blue ones of her father and they both fell in love on the spot.

*********

“Eleanor! Not too far!”

Hannah ran after the toddler, who loved to run and frighten everyone, especially her father. Henry saw danger in every corner and had to be restrained from holding her against his broad chest constantly and sending all other children packing.

“She needs to learn, Harry. She can’t do that without living a little.” Cate smiled as she looked at his serious face, his eyes never leaving his daughter as she ran around on the grassy expanse before them. Magnolia Reed, who was now five and fast becoming Nell’s best pal, was leading the group of children who were running through the legs of adults and around the trees. He almost stood and went to her aid as his daughter fell, but so determined was she to continue the game that tough little _Princess Eleanor of Monmouth_ just got to her feet and set off again, even before Aunty Hannah could catch her up. The two-year-old squealed with delight as she ran away from her pursuer, her balloon trailing behind her in the wind. From where they sat they could hear her laughing.

Cate squeezed his arm as it lay across her lap. Henry allowed his lips to rest on her fragrant hair as he leaned his head against hers.

“Harry?”

“Yes, my clever Cate?” He steeled himself; he was reasonably certain he knew her intentions. He must be brave: he was a King! He just had to stay away from Loki, and cider…

“How do you feel about having another little Monmouth Monster?”


End file.
